A/N: I know….it's been 84 years between chapter 1 and chapter 2!
Thank you so much for the response, for reviewing and following, it means the world. I'm so sorry I haven't added this chapter sooner. I literally dropped chapter 1 and then headed OS for my sister's wedding then country hopped for a while. Was hoping to get lots of writing done at airports etc but it didn't happen.
Writing canon is actually pretty terrifying, AU felt much safer. Regardless here's the continuation from the first chapter of Science and Magic. It's a long one to sink your teeth into, setting a few things up and leaving a few breadcrumbs into what's happened over the past five years.
Chapter 2 – Fight and flight
Lauren
It's moments like this I'm reminded why I became a doctor. Moments when, bent over a microscope you get to see with your own eyes what markers and levels, really just sequences of numbers and letters printed on simple paper are telling you, is absolute truth.
I trust in science, it's my passion and compass but seeing the cells and watching them react and pulse never ceases to amaze me. With a final smile, I pulled away from the microscope, the lights dull and the air cool in my lab. Evony's cells are stable.
"Someone's happy". Astrid's voice registered with only a split second of shock before I slid my chair out and turned towards her steely blue eyes. She'd been a consulting physician here for almost four years now, managing to avoid the previous fate of Lisa and Sam and staying very much alive.
She was a surprise package; one of many Fae who started to emerge when the new political structure was in its infancy. Light and Dark would still exist, those classifications were fundamental to Fae who had chosen them, a way of life almost. The positions of Ash and Morrigan were removed however, meaning in theory any power plays to reach those positions would also be removed but that wasn't quite the case.
The new governing body; a combined Council of representatives from across the Colony, not based on age, wealth or species but rather elected because of principle and vision was eventually formed. The combination of Trick's death and Bo's defeat of Hades had done more than was intended it seemed but to some Fae, power is everything and they continued to scheme and plot to regain that power solely.
Astrid was one of the many Fae who welcomed change; who wished and willed it into fruition and even embodied it to an extent. Being an Amazon meant she was a born warrior, proud and noble but she was one of many of her race striving to live a different life, a life of her own choice. She'd been trained in traditional Fae medicine and embraced those traditions but sought out more for herself, attending a human University and graduating with a professional medical degree.
She'd become more than a colleague, she was a friend who we all trusted. I'd learned however, there needed to be a limit to the trust I gave with certain cases and Evony's was one of them. Astrid knew me well and so she didn't ask any questions or prompt further beyond her initial greeting. Instead she slid out a seat for herself and handed me a file as she settled about a metre away.
"I think you'll be even happier after reviewing these results".
"Hmmmm okay, I'll prepare to be enlightened". The smile on my face remained firm as I read quickly, flicking over pages.
"Today is a good day" I spoke the words softly to myself, Astrid's laugh following immediately.
"It's funny; I don't even consciously think any more about patients being human or Fae, I only see the individual case and how I can help that person. It doesn't matter whether it's a case of Testicular Cancer like Mark William's here, where we're able to quickly intervene surgically with success or Dianna Pereira, the uncooperative Harpy in Room 5 with the broken right wing". I shrugged and closed the file lightly before continuing. "If they need help, I have the capacity and the means to do that freely and I'm so thankful for that freedom, among others".
And just like that my eyes landed on the framed picture of Bo and I I'd always kept here at the lab.
"It's just my humble opinion of course, whatever it's worth, but I'd say you've more than earned any freedom you have now and any person, human or Fae who walks, is wheeled, flies, stumbles or transports in a cloud of coloured smoke through the door of this clinic should count themselves lucky to have such excellent care".
Her face was a mask of seriousness, her voice dipping and out of breath at the conviction in her words. A few long drawn out seconds later though, she slid her chair back and stood from it quickly, lips quirking to the side as the file was tucked under her arm as she looked at me silently.
"Wow, you really want that new electro-seismic 3D printer don't you?"
"Yeah I do".
"Then I'll see what I can do". She held Mr William's file out between us but I shook my head no and pushed my hands into the pockets of my lab coat. "You've earned the lead on that one. Go deliver some good news".
She nodded professionally before moving to the door but I caught her attention just before she reached it. "Thanks Astrid…for what you said, your opinion actually means a lot to me".
We exchanged a quick smile before I was left alone again. I couldn't think clearly about Evony's case right now, even with as big of a breakthrough it was for me personally and professionally, how many years I'd spent working towards it. Tonight's dinner loomed in the background of my mind. The ramifications of what the stable cells would mean, of the decisions that needed to be made as a result and the conversation I'd need to have with Bo before Evony was made aware of anything was a daunting prospect. So I worked meticulously, enjoying the quiet while I packed samples and equipment securely. As usual, the timing of this latest development was far from ideal. "Messy and complicated". My words rang out through the otherwise unoccupied space, echoing slightly amongst the steel and glass.
It was impeccable timing on Kenzi's behalf; of course it was, as she strolled in with Dagny through the main lab entrance at that exact moment, arms immediately raised in mock surrender to something I hadn't figured out yet.
"We're late aaaaand I'm sorry OK, but we're here now". She stopped at my workstation, one hand against the immaculate desk top while the other sat perched on her hip. Dagny kept some distance, hanging back near the entrance. She seemed nervous but highly alert, surveying every surface and piece of equipment in the lab silently.
I returned me attention to a waiting Kenzi. "We didn't have a set time for today so it's fine; I actually just finished off on some case work and a meeting with Astrid".
"It's 3:45 Lauren. I thought you would've given up on us making an appearance and opted to go home and make sure Bo, as gorgeous as our resident succubus is, doesn't burn down your equally as beautiful house roasting up whatever chunk of meat Vex was supplying when we left this morning".
"Vex?" I cringed internally but tried to keep any sense of panic off my face.
"Yep, good old Vex, apparently a butcher now?"
"Not at all actually and lets not go there".
"You got it doc".
I took a deep breath and smiled across at a fidgeting Dagny. "Thanks for coming". She shrugged at me nonchalantly, a shy smile appearing.
"I was getting bored shopping anyway".
A gasp rang out and I noticed Dagny smiling teasingly at the reaction she'd caused. "Sacrilege! It's not possible to ever be bored shopping. I've never heard you complain before".
"I could take or leave the shopping, I know it's kinda our thing, mostly I just like spending time with you".
"You're killing me with that shit, literally". I watched with a smile as Kenzi strode across the room and hugged Dagny tightly, the genuine love and affection they shared clear for anyone to see.
The two pulled apart a few seconds later, both pushing away from that affection just as quickly as they'd come together, Kenzi taking her place back on the chair and obviously intending to keep a close eye on what I was doing.
"So…...where do you want me?"
I gestured over to my right, to the waiting vacant station near the desk Kenzi was occupying. "Just take a seat over there; you'll need to remove your jacket".
"You're taking blood right?" My back was turned to her, but I heard the words all the same while gathering the small amount of equipment I'd need.
"It's always about blood". To my surprise when I turned, Dagny was still fully focussed on me, the both of us having chosen not to acknowledge Kenzi's comment beyond actually hearing it.
"Yes, I'll draw some blood, quite a few vials if that's OK? There are several tests I want to run". She shrugged off her jacket just as I took a seat opposite her, readying myself.
"What are you looking for?" Her eyes stared right into mine, focussed and fierce. As young as Dagny was in terms of actual years, there was a presence about her that seemed so much older even with her genuine curiosity and thinly veiled worry.
"The last blood sample I took from you was just after your birth. Now that you've hit Fae puberty, I want a detailed comparison of how those changes are affecting your body on a biological and physiological level".
"That's the simple answer right?"
I quirked a smile, caught off guard a little bit. "Sorry, yes it is in a way. When conducting blood tests, from a human perspective, I'd be looking to see whether the levels of different substances in the blood fall within a normal range. With Fae, those parameters are far more complicated because every genus and then species differs dramatically in biological make up".
Dagny nodded slowly in acknowledgement, holding her arm out for me. "Jess, that's my girlfriend. She'd really love meeting you, wants to be a doctor". I couldn't help but turn to look in Kenzi's direction briefly, noting the almost smug look on her face like she was thinking the same thing I was, that Tamsin would have freaked at her daughter's choice in partner baring any similarity to me.
With a warm smile, I set to work, attaching a pressure cuff to Dagny's upper arm and pulling it tight. "I'd be happy to meet her".
"Yeah well, she's still getting over me being pulled from her car and then basically disappearing on her the next day". She looked over to Kenzi quickly before turning back with a sigh.
"It's not like I can let it be anything special right? From what I've learned so far I'll keep on ageing rapidly until I hit full Valkyrie maturity or whatever the scientific term for that should be and it's not like I can explain that to her honestly. She's not Fae".
As much as the divide between Dark and Light might have lessened with the emergence of an accepted unaligned presence in the Fae world, laws and opinions regarding humans had not changed all that much. The freedom for me to come and go in itself was only granted because of a long and complicated history and Bo. Kenzi had made the choice to re-enter the human world predominantly, she could rage back in every now and again only because of the ring on her finger.
It was for those reasons, both Kenzi and I didn't and couldn't provide an answer to Dagny. I was the first to move again, picking up an alcohol swab and slowly waiting for a sign Dagny was ready to proceed. Wordlessly she offered her arm again. "Lets get this done. I'm getting tired".
With a nod I inserted the needle, the first of eight vials filling quickly. The lab was mostly quiet with the exception of the hollow, rubbery snap of vials being detached and then reattached quickly for long drawn out seconds. Normally I liked quiet as I worked. Maybe it was how un-Tamsin like Dagny seemed to be or maybe it was that I knew that after tonight, her life would be forever changed by the truths she'd learn, whatever it was, it made the silence uncomfortable, so much so that I broke it randomly.
"Kenzi mentioned this morning that you often sleep late. The tiredness you feel all the time, it's a logical symptom to your accelerated development".
I snapped the final vial into place, only lifting my eyes briefly to hers. She nodded in thought and then shrugged, not seeming to care in the slightest that we'd been talking about her and it wasn't until I'd secured the last vial and removed the needle from her arm that I heard her voice.
"Were you my mother's doctor while she was pregnant with me?"
I could feel Kenzi's eyes on me but I didn't look in her direction, Dagny commanding my full attention. With a small laugh I responded. "As much as she wanted a doctor, yes, I guess I was".
"You delivered me, I know that much".
"I did".
"So you were friends…with her, with my mother?"
This time I did look to Kenzi, surprisingly she just nodded for me to answer honestly so I did. "No, I wouldn't say we were friends exactly".
"I don't know if I want to know why, I just…."
I could have summed it all up in one word; Bo, but I didn't, in truth there was more to it than that. "We were very different people, we just responded to things in completely different ways".
"So what you're really saying, in a very doctorly, over diplomatic way is that you hated each other".
I couldn't help the smile that stretched across my face and to respect her sharp perspective on things. "Actually no I didn't hate her. Tamsin was brash and rude and kind of an asshole sometimes, most of the time to me". Dagny blew out a fast laugh, almost seeming thankful for me being direct.
"I respected her in some ways though. She always told it like it was, could leave all the emotion at the door when no one else could. Sometimes that was needed. I didn't hate her but I'm not sure she would have said the same about me".
"Thanks, for being honest with me".
"It's OK".
"I know she died just after I was born". Dagny glanced over to a still silent Kenzi before turning back to me. I thought at the time Kenzi must be going crazy, staying quiet amongst the jumble of bizarre emotion.
"Was she in any pain?"
"No. She was calm, peaceful in a way I'd never seen. She just held you in her arms and waited for Bo".
With a final accepting nod, our conversation was at an end.
XXX
"Shit, shit and shit". I stood silent by the living room couch as Bo threw a hot pan into the large industrial sink in our kitchen, dousing it underwater before quickly reaching for the open bottle of red wine sitting on the bench and sculling it.
Whatever was in the pan was definitely unsalvageable judging by the burnt, sugary smell permeating the space but there was a perfectly roasted piece of meat resting on the far edge of the bench so that was something.
Bo's back was turned to me but her posture seemed to change suddenly, the bottle lowering slowly as she turned and locked her eyes on mine, a bright and loving smile immediately greeting me. I couldn't help but allow that smile to set my body on fire. Bo was in no way a typical 'housewife' fantasy and neither was I. We'd somehow managed to create our own brand of 'home' and her cooking in leather pants and one of the many skin tight black tank tops she owned, dagger out on the bench next to the meat as though she was prepared for it to attack her coming out of the oven was a sight I'd never tire of seeing.
As an alternative, come to think of it, I'd certainly have no objection to coming home to her dressed only in a pristine apron and heels, inevitably bending her over one of our kitchen work surfaces. I'm positive she wouldn't object to that particular scenario either.
The bottle in her hand was placed securely on the bench a second later and she was moving smoothly to me, lips quirked into a smirk as she pressed into me and my arms secured a hold around her waist, hands pressing into the small of her back.
"Something smells interesting". The words barely made it out before my eyes closed on reflex when warm lips nipped at my neck, Bo's breath heating my skin at an alarming rate.
"Mmmhmmm, I was trying to make a red wine Jus".
"We'll just stick with the wine itself". I'd pulled back reluctantly but kept a loose hold on the bare skin I'd managed to uncover with fast hands seconds earlier.
"Kenz and Dagny aren't too far behind me". I watched as Bo sighed, smiled then giving a resolute nod went to pull away. I was ready for the move though, keeping my hold firm. "How are you?" It was a question we'd gotten good at asking regularly over the last few years. Answering it completely was still a work in progress for both of us though.
"I'm uncertain". Bo smiled tightly, relaxing only slightly. "I'm so sick of feeling the weight of that uncertainly all the time, with everything I do, every move I make. Nothing's ever simple, there's always something hidden, some meaning I haven't picked up on or some play by some asshole I haven't anticipated".
Bo and I had laid in bed last night, going over everything the Leviathan had said. I knew her uncertainty stemmed from her need to protect us all from her father, something she felt she'd failed to do last time around. She was right though, nothing was simple. I felt my own thoughts pushing down on me; Hades bonds, who and what they were to and how to break them, his apparent feeding from Dagny now that she'd hit Fae puberty, Bo's initial concerns that he'd gifted her something just like she'd been infused with the Pyrippus. Aside from all of that, the Leviathan referring to Bo as 'my queen' and stating knowledge of the hell shoes was what I found most concerning. As much as Bo took on the role of protecting us, there's nothing I wouldn't do to protect her right back.
In an attempt to steer around the rising dread of tonight's conversations, even just for a little while longer, I moved in closer to Bo again, taking her hands in mine. "So….to thwart off your uncertainty you decide to host a family dinner".
"Probably not a great idea but we are Dagny's family and we need to work together. She knows us but only from what Kenzi's told her, she doesn't actually know us or have any reason to trust us, to trust me, especially after everything I need to tell her".
I thought back to my time with her in the lab earlier. "She's not what I was expecting. She's very…un-Tamsin like".
Bo's bright smile and light laugh pierced through my thoughts, causing a smile of my own in response. "Nice choice of words Doctor Lewis; un-Tamsin like".
"Ha, ha, yes I know I probably could have articulated that better but she is. She's Tamsin's daughter, raised by Kenzi". I shrugged off Bo's hummed response, moving towards the cooked meat resting on the bench and the array of used chopping boards next to the ruined pan in the sink. "Are any of these herbs from my lab wall garden?"
Bo held up her hands, her lips quirking just slightly at the panic in my voice. "I learned my lesson from the last time; no cooking with Fae herbs. It's just Rosemary and Thyme".
I nodded, feeling satisfied as Bo replied further. "Vex loved our hallucinogenic house warming party".
"I'm sure he did. As I recall though, Dyson wouldn't speak to either of us for a month". Bo hopped up on the bench next to the chopping board and I came to rest snugly in between her parted legs. "He's lucky you picked what you did, one of the other alternatives would have been almost immediate impotence and I'm thinking he'd like to father children again one day".
With a smile I leaned in to capture her lips but noticed at the last minute the apprehensive look on Bo's face and pulled back, my hands drifting down to her thighs. Just as I was about to question what was wrong, the door opened swiftly, Kenzi and Dagny carrying in several bags each from their shopping expedition.
To her credit, Dagny stopped short on entering, looking at least slightly apologetic for whatever had been interrupted. Once Kenzi got a look at the scene in front of her, she scoffed and landed solidly on the couch, throwing a wink at Bo and me before pulling Dagny down beside her. "Don't mind these two; they never could keep it in their pants around each other".
I glanced at Bo briefly before moving away reluctantly, knowing I'd have to wait a while to find out what that look on her face moments earlier had meant. I watched as Dagny stood from the couch quickly and announced to the three of us she wanted to take a shower before dinner then disappeared upstairs.
"Is she okay?" Kenzi stood and moved into the kitchen to answer Bo's question. "I think so. She was quiet in the car after leaving the lab which is unusual for her but not that unusual, she can disappear in her head sometimes".
With a quick glance at the open red wine bottle, Kenzi poured herself a glass and rested back against the bench next to Bo and I. "So you didn't burn the place down, I'm impressed".
While Bo and Kenzi traded jabs and a few laughs which I knew would help to settle both of their nerves before facing tonight's looming conversation I couldn't help but to think back over mine and Dagny's conversation from earlier. She hadn't seemed frightened or concerned by the fact her father was now able to feed from her, her questions had been more about Tamsin and the past. Kenzi had given her facts but I wondered how satisfied Dagny was with that. Some details of the past were dark and difficult. Tonight would be an interesting night.
XXX
Vex and Kenzi had moved on from red wine to Dark Belch as we'd moved on from Bo's roast dinner to the chocolate cream pie I'd baked for dessert. Mark sat back as usual, mirroring Dyson's posture only with an indulgent smile on his face while Dyson waited patiently for Bo to begin explaining what had gone down with the Leviathan.
"What the hell is in this stuff anyway? Does Evony still own the micro-brewery?" Vex raised the bottle up to the pendant light hanging low over the dining table, smiling with glee at the dark liquid as he went about answering Kenzi's question. "She still owns it alright and it's best you don't know what's in it".
Vex tilted his gaze to Dagny seated beside Kenzi at the table. "Not everything dark is bad or evil lovey. Our resident succubus here is proof of that isn't she; all tied up with daddy's beastie weapon Pyrippus yet here she is, shacked up with the Doc who she's managed not to suck dry while surprisingly not overcooking my supplied lamb".
I heard the words clearly and wished I hadn't when Bo immediately tensed next to me, eyes a rich and fiery brown as she stared Vex down.
"Dark, light, evil or not….you're still an ass". Kenzi's quick response and her movement around the table clearing plates seemed to settle Bo a little bit while my hand drifted to her thigh under the table and squeezed reassuringly. It was Dagny's voice that stopped us all again though.
"Whatever we're all here to talk about, can we do that". She turned to face Bo and me, eyes imploring. "Thanks for dinner and everything…..I mean, I appreciate it. I know things are happening to me and everyone's working on helping or whatever. But I feel so….." She sighed deeply and Kenzi was quick to pile the plates back onto the table and retake her seat.
As Bo spoke, I braced myself for what was coming. "I'm sorry Dagny. We do need to talk and yes, everyone is here to help you, I want you to know and trust that". Dagny nodded for Bo to continue. "You're my sister, you're important to me and I want to protect you. That's why we all made the decision for you to live with Kenz, amongst humans".
"I know that and I've loved living with Kenzi but I…," Dagny looked to Kenzi briefly before turning back to Bo. "I've been having these dreams; a voice in my head and I know it's him, I know it's my father".
"What does he say?" The look on Bo's face in that moment was excruciating for me to watch; a combination of fear and rare vulnerability.
"He calls me princess, says that I'm special and that he loves me. Sometimes I feel so….powerful and strong, there's air against my face and under my wings and it's so hot, like everything underneath me is on fire. When I dream, I always have wings".
"Hades knows nothing about love". Bo took a deep breath then, her eyes softening as she went through everything the Leviathan had said, the table otherwise quiet and at attention.
"What she said, about me being more than a Valkyrie. You're the Pyrippus as well as a succubus. Is that why everyone's freaking out? You think he gave me some other power or ability or something?" It was only a couple of seconds before Dagny turned to face me suddenly. "You're looking for more than just Fae markers in my blood aren't you?"
I saw no point in denying anything, so I answered honestly and succinctly, "yes".
"Maybe I'm not as naïve as this Levi or whoever she is seems to think. Clearly our father's an asshole".
"I don't think you're naïve Dagny but believe me, that power you feel, it can take over everything else, all other reason or emotion. Hades strength comes from playing on what you want most and using that to his advantage, using it against you and as a weapon for whatever end game he has planned".
"So what; we find whoever or whatever else he's bound to and break the bonds right?"
Bo only nodded, appearing troubled by how unaffected Dagny seemed to be by everything.
"We can start with Persephone; her marriage to Hades is real. She told me she was bound to him not to Tartarus".
"So with him still lurking around, their bond still exists". Bo nodded to Kenzi in reply before Dyson added his thoughts.
"Bo, are you sure we can trust the Leviathan? She's nothing but a crow at heart. She freely admitted that Hades bound her to her position…..and the other two sisters, one bound to her tree and her treachery".
"I know Dyson"
So many memories and feelings swept through me as I interrupted their thoughts with two hard hitting words, "the Norn".
Bo was looking at me intently and it was almost uncomfortable, the level of history and hurt, even from so long ago and even though it had been almost all indirect for me, now felt fresh again.
"So we buy ourselves an industrial, logger style chainsaw and hit her where it hurts, take that tree down, take her down, take out whatever 'bond' Hades has going on".
Bo was still looking at me as she responded to Kenzi. "I don't want anyone going near the Norn". I knew that meant no one but her just like she knew I wouldn't let her go alone. Clearly it was something we'd be discussing later.
"Being bound in a Fae sense can be a tricky bugger, it doesn't always mean the same thing in every situation".
I broke the eye contact with Bo and reluctantly admitted, "That's a good point Vex".
"Damn straight it is Doc. This won't be as simple as killing them all".
"I don't want anyone killing anyone for me". Dagny's voice was clear and forceful. "My mum died so she could have me".
"A Valkyrie that doesn't like death; daughter of Hades no less, that's cute".
"I don't know anything about being a Valkyrie, I only know how I feel".
Bo immediately cut through the mounting tension, all nerves and apprehension now undetectable as she reached across the table for Dagny's hand. "It's okay. Mostly you need to go with what you feel in your gut and in your heart. Mine's telling me I can trust Levi and that breaking whatever bonds Hades forged won't involve killing anyone".
Bo kept her hand closed softly around Dagny's while she glanced at Kenzi and then to me briefly. "But I don't want to keep anything from you Dagny; Hades needs to die, I won't let him near my family this time, I'll keep everyone safe no matter what it takes and the only way to do that is to end him".
Dagny seemed to be shocked and dazed for a long moment before considering Bo's statement. "I don't…..I know who he is, what he is but the one thing I've never been able to figure out is why. Why would my mother be with him?"
I instantly focussed on Bo in that moment, the emotion rolling off her in waves, suffocating the room. The thought of her having to answer that question was heartbreaking. I wanted to reach out and touch her, to answer for her even, anything to make this easier somehow but I knew it had to come from her. I'd be here to pick up the pieces later.
Eyes shining with tears, her hand covering her sister's, Bo answered the question we'd all hoped would never be asked, "Hades has many powers. One of those is the ability to take the form of a blood relative. He disguised himself as me. Tamsin thought she was with me that night".
"You two were together? I….god, I wasn't even….he tricked her, she never meant to have me". Dagny pulled her hand away, hurt and anger marking her every feature as she pushed her chair away from the table looking like she wanted to physically run but wasn't able to.
"We'd slept together, yes, and I loved her, just not in the way she wanted. I couldn't".
Finding some strength, Dagny stood on shaky legs followed closely by Bo who reached out to steady her. Dagny shot a look in my direction, so broken and furious. "You really weren't friends were you, it was always you". She turned back to Bo and brushed off her hands with a harsh laugh. "You're a succubus, I get it. I get pulled out when I finally want to sleep with my girlfriend and you….is there anyone in this room you haven't slept with? Maybe someone should have taught you not to shit where you eat."
Vex's hand rose high in the air in answer as Kenzi stood, reaching out tentatively for Dagny's hand. The touch seemed to quell the sudden sweep of anger instantly and replace it with exhaustion.
"Why? Why would he do that to her? Just to create me? I'm nothing special".
Bo closed her eyes tightly for a moment and I knew she was trying to focus, trying to push down whatever she was feeling and be what Dagny needed. "I was resistant to play the part he had planned for me. He wanted you so much, another chance for control. He chose Tamsin, manipulated her with her own feelings for me, and timed it perfectly of course. He and Tamsin had a history as well; Hades has a long association with Valkyries. She wouldn't bend to his will, wouldn't serve as part of his army. He found a way to destroy her and to have his second chance for a perfect princess".
Dagny's voice caught in her throat as her words took shape and her rage seemed to peak. The glowing hand print across her chest shone brightly as though Hades were mocking the heavy emotion being felt by feeding off it.
"I'll kill him myself".
I could see what was happening just before it did, standing and rushing to Dagny as she passed out, Bo and Kenzi also there to help as she slumped and we lowered her to the ground.
XXX
I'd been down in Trick's archives for the past hour, a bottle of red now miraculously half empty on a side table while I searched and I read. I'd never come across another Valkyrie aside from Tamsin and fleetingly Stacey. Like many types of fae, they were allusive and rare, mostly undocumented and as Trick had told me years ago, their lives and customs were kept secret under guarded oaths.
Tamsin's journal was here, the one that shouldn't exist but did, kept in the Dal's vault. Since Dyson had taken up residence, it was ensured protection along with everything else above and below the pub's surface. After last night's dinner, I'd been wondering if it would be of benefit to give the journal to Dagny or if that would only antagonise the entire situation.
Dagny had slept for hours before waking quiet and withdrawn, all the previous anger having evaporated while she rested. She wanted to meet Acacia and learn about her manifesting powers. Considering the tone of the evening's conversation, not having any other option as a teacher and knowing firsthand how difficult it was to go without early guidance; Bo had reluctantly agreed to use the hell shoes to access Valhalla. Everyone had agreed on the plan.
The buzzing of my phone in my pocket pulled me away from my thoughts and I quickly scanned the text from Astrid. She was a couple of minutes away and wanting to have a drink. I grabbed the bottle of red wine and my glass and knew this was the perfect time to get out of my head for a while.
I spotted Kenzi at the bar, empty shot glasses lined up in front of her just as Astrid walked in smiling across at Dyson. I motioned her over as I took a seat next to Kenzi, noting she was even more animated than usual, meaning only one thing.
"You're drunk".
"Damn straight I am. I've earned this, been the responsible parent. I'm such a sucker for that girl though. Seriously what were we thinking? We're all here while she's at your house with her very human girlfriend and I'm sure they're just watching movies like they said. I repeat at your house, the one you had built with all that extra insulation and sound proofing. That's right; Bo told me all about that little project you insisted on. She's a baby fae Lauren, my baby fae".
Dyson and I shared a pointed look. I reached for the vodka bottle in front of Kenz just as Dyson swept the empty glasses away.
"Don't think I'm drunk enough to miss the eyeballing you've got going on with my wolf-man here. You must be the Amazon Doctor". Astrid looked stunned for only a second before responding with a smile, "And you must be Kenzi. Nice to finally meet you".
"Mmmm, I'll save the pleasantries until after we've cleared up some business. First question; are you in love with my succubus bestie?"
Astrid looked at me with raised eyebrows before answering, "I like a challenge sure, but no I'm not in love with Bo".
"Onto the second question then; are you in love with the beautiful, legs for days Lauren here. All cooped up in the lab together day after day".
"Lauren's a phenomenal mentor and friend but I'd have to say no again. I value my life too much to take my chances with previously referred jealous, possessive succubus".
"Smart girl! Now that we've cleared that up, I'll say great to meet you and have a drink on me. Well on Dyson, he owns this place clearly".
Without a word but with an easy smile, Dyson slid a glass of aged Irish whiskey across to Astrid. Kenzi smiled brightly, furrowing her brow as she motioned between the two. "You're an Amazon, so how does this work exactly? You live in sisterhood and every six months you take a male lover".
The glass was at Astrid's lips but stopped short and was replaced on the bar. Again she looked amused more than anything. "Isn't that what we've been working for the past few years, shaking up those Fae social norms? I'm a proud Amazon woman but I'm also a progressive woman".
"Cheers to that". Kenzi hadn't even noticed the glass of water until she'd picked it up, clashed it gently against Astrid's own glass and then choked as the clear liquid hit her throat.
Dyson was squirming behind the bar so I did my best to take the spot light off he and Astrid. "I thought Dagny's girlfriend was really nice, very mature and intelligent. I think the visit was warranted, let the two of them reconnect and talk. Sometimes something familiar can be everything you need when everything around you is new and overwhelming".
"Of course you love her, she's the seventeen year old you from my imagination". Kenzi sighed deeply, her head plopping down into an open palm held aloft on the bar top. "I like her too". Kenzi looked across to Dyson and then to me before lifting her head back up. "Bo has the hell shoes but how do we know Dagny will be able to go to Valhalla without some kind of invitation or fae rite of passage".
Dyson was the one to jump in and answer, "Bo trusts her gut on this one. She said she doesn't know how, she just knows Dagny will be able to follow her".
We were all quiet then for a long moment, everyone drinking which prompted me to pick up my wine glass again. Just after Kenzi had left with Dagny, just after we'd recommitted to our relationship, Bo had wanted to go to Valhalla and check in with Acacia. She'd also wanted to meet with Freya and Stacey but was stopped by the all too fresh memory of Hades control over the hell shoes. I knew even though she wouldn't say it, this visit to Valhalla was important to her as well.
"Where is Bo?" I looked across my glass at Kenzi, Dyson smiling coyly and moving away to serve other customers down the bar from us.
"I asked her to feed tonight. She doesn't feed here".
I couldn't read the look on Kenzi's face but Astrid was smiling widely, clearly used to how frank I was about Bo's feeding needs these days.
"Only you could make it sound like she's just casually stepped out for bread and milk".
I shrugged lightly, refilling my wine glass. "It took a little while but we figured out what works for us". I smiled to myself knowing it was so much more complex than that; Bo's hunger and subsequent feeding had evolved with time, made more complex with the merging of the Pyrippus and her succubus abilities.
"Yeah well, she's still looking plenty hungry Lo, and not for the innuendo bread and milk you sent her out for". I turned, glass in hand, my throat constricting as I attempted to swallow my wine. Bo was walking towards us slowly, cherry coloured lips curved into a killer smile, beautiful dark eyes focussed solely on me.
I was ensnared by those eyes and the aura surrounding her. It was a natural, chemical bi-product of her succubus nature, to capture the attention of everyone in the room and I was by no way immune to it. If anything knowing the woman beyond the succubus and loving her fully for who and what she is only made me ache with far more intensity.
"Hey there Bo-Bo".
I heard Kenzi's voice but it had melted into the background, I wasn't able to focus on anything but my girlfriend, now sidled up next to me at the bar, fingertips gently pushing through my hair as she whispered "hi" against my lips before kissing them softly. She was clearly enjoying the affect she was having and it made me roll my eyes even though I was smiling like a crazy person. "Hey back Kenz, you having fun?"
"Just catching up with D-man here and getting to know Doc Amazon. All good times. You're girl here's been hitting the books down stairs, she just came up for air".
"Mmmm, that sounds about right". Giving Astrid a smile and a nod, Bo turned back into me fully. "I knew you wouldn't have eaten, thought I could take you out for dinner".
I could read the true intent in that offer a mile away. It had become a regular thing for Bo to hit me full force after consuming the chi she needed. Sex she sought out only from me unless absolutely necessary and I can't say I ever objected in satisfying that particular hunger.
What was unusual was Bo was wearing a new black dress I'd bought for her when we went shopping together a few weeks ago, the one I'd been looking forward to seeing her wear again so I could enjoy taking it off. Normally Bo seeking me out would come without the foreplay of actual food.
Either way, I couldn't help but to play along as always. "I am hungry".
"Okaaaaaay, why don't the two of you get the hell out of here and go do your thing. I'll see you back at the house later. I'm thinking in the morning, late, late morning".
"What do you say Doctor Lewis, can your girlfriend take you out on a date?"
The answer was simple. "Lead the way".
XXX
The restaurant Bo guided us to was nestled downtown, perched on the fourth floor with amazing views of the now late evening streetscape. It was a gorgeous night outside, almost glowing with warmth and energy, surpassed though by the ambiance and extravagance inside. Tables for two were set out on the terrace or against the windows, a handful of larger groups sitting further back towards the entrance, keeping our particular table, right on the edge of the terrace, quiet and intimate.
A single candle flickered between us on the table's surface, a tangible representation of the constant arousal and love burning below the surface as we shared a bottle of wine and ate our food. Bo had ordered an entrée and dessert while I went straight to a refined pasta main. Carbs were a great choice for what I was anticipating. We'd been mostly quiet as we'd eaten, exchanging small talk every now and then and plenty of appreciative smiles. Even now that Bo had finished the dark chocolate mousse she'd been devouring; she sat patiently watching me as I took my damn time finishing an amazing meal. I wanted to test her patience a little bit, especially considering she'd had the chance to dress up and surprise me.
It was a few minutes later that I finally finished and pushed my plate away. They were long minutes, intense in a strange way as Bo had watched me intently, subtly licking her bottom lip every now and again.
"You look amazing in that dress Bo". The words were an opener as I'd emptied my glass of wine, the final one I'd drink tonight. "It's making me wonder though…"
Bo's mouth quirked into a happy smile and it was almost enough, almost but not quite. I could still see the tension coiled in her body, in her eyes.
"I'm proud to be yours Lauren Lewis, just reminding you of that". My hand was free now that my wine was finished and Bo reached out to lace our fingers together on the tabletop.
"We both know where tonight is headed Bo".
"So you're saying I could have just ordered us a pizza to eat in bed?"
"That would have been called breakfast by the time we were done. I'm in love with a succubus".
"I'm a lucky girl".
"Mmmmmm and so am I". Bo let out a deep breath, putting a chink in the smile she'd worn all night.
"About tomorrow Bo; I'm okay with it, I think it's something you need to do and not just for Dagny, for you as well. I know you're plagued with uncertainty and with doubt and I'm here. For whatever you need. I can't come with you…..that I know, and as much as I sometimes want that…"
Bo's fingers tightened around mine, her other hand gripping my upper arm as she almost lunged across the table at me. When my eyes lifted from her grip and up to her eyes, there was pain there, desperation and an uncharacteristic nervousness. As fast as this sudden sweep of emotion had sprung up on us, Bo tamed it with speed, relaxing back with a smile. We were back to staring at each other.
"You're always with me Lauren. Maybe you don't believe that, but you are".
I knew it was true, because I felt the same way, I'd always felt it. "Take me home Bo". There was more to talk about and I knew we'd get to it in our usual way; her warm, naked skin against mine in our bed.
XXX
The only outward sign that Bo was getting impatient was the fact she'd run the last three red lights down.
Finally we pulled off the main road and wove our way through the neighbourhood we'd called home for the last few years, parking in the driveway only a minute or two later. We turned to look at each other quickly once the roar of the engine had been silenced, an understanding passing between us.
The short walk from the car to the door was a blur as my fingers moved on instinct, effectively deactivating our alarm system before Bo followed me in and deftly re-set it. Her hands were under my shirt, scorching the bare skin at my hips as we climbed the stairs slowly.
The doors to the two upstairs spare rooms were closed, signalling that Kenzi was home. It was only a passing thought as I entered our bedroom and heard the door close and the lock click. A single and intricate glass pendant light hanging over my reading chair in the corner provided a soft and intimate glow, the room more immaculate than I remembered it being when I'd left for the Dal. It was then I realised Bo had deliberately set that mood when she came home and changed before searching me out.
I closed my eyes for a minute as deft fingers unbuttoned my shirt from bottom to top, pushing it down my arms as soft lips nipped at my neck. Bo was being so incredibly gentle, taking her time and enjoying the process of revealing my skin. All the while my insides scorched from her touch. I didn't want slowly; the dress and the dinner and everything Bo was too much to warrant slow. I wanted everything from her, just like I knew she needed everything from me tonight.
Feeling her teeth sink lightly into the skin below my shoulder blade as her hands squeezed at my lace covered breasts was my breaking point. I turned and held her face in my hands as I kissed her, a soft growl escaping that amazing mouth of hers. The skin at her thighs was smooth and hot to the touch while the soft black fabric bunched into place at Bo's hips.
Our bed had been custom made, a cushioned foot rest at its main end but it was one of the four posts that framed it I was aiming for while guiding Bo slowly backwards and never breaking from the give and take of our mouths and the wandering of my hands.
I could only manage to moan as I impatiently pushed her silk thong down enough to sink inside her and push up as Bo pushed down, accepting everything I was giving. I could have commented on how wet she was, how warm and tight but the words would have been lost. I only wanted to feel and be completely in the moment.
Sinking to my knees, I smiled at the sound coming from her as my fingers thrust one last time and then slid smoothly around to grip at her ass. I took one last look up, Bo's eyes lost in pleasure and anticipation, her arms stretched back and gripping with white knuckles to the bed post. I wanted to blow her mind, make her feel how much I loved her, how much I ached for her in ways scientifically I still couldn't understand. It was then I pulled her to my waiting mouth, taking a long swipe with my tongue before plunging it inside.
I was adrift in the taste and feel of her then, not able to determine who was pulling who closer amongst the constant murmuring of my name. After guiding one of Bo's legs to the side and up onto the bed I returned my fingers, absolutely in love with being enveloped so intimately. It made me push into her harder and faster, my tongue never losing its incessant rhythm while I was rewarded for my efforts with struggled words of encouragement, "So good…you feel so fucking good inside me. I'm gonna cum so hard Lo".
As Bo quaked and trembled, her chest heaving for breath, I stayed nestled inside her but moved to stand, needing to feel her lips against mine again and wanting her to taste herself. She did just that with earnest, forcefully and with a sudden surge of energy that had me gasping for my own breath.
She started to move again against my fingers, smiling with undisguised lust. I forced myself to slowly withdraw from her, taking a step back, needing to have her out of that dress finally. As though she could read my mind, she turned instantly in invitation to lower the zipper and pool the material at her now bare feet.
Her bra was the next thing to go, my hands sweeping the skin down her back reverently as she kicked off her thong. I pressed against her back, keeping her in place and whispering in her ear, "saying I love you doesn't seem like enough anymore".
With a groan she turned to face me and I could see my time of being in control was almost over. Her gaze was an intense mix of devotion and need, flickering slowly up and down my body while her fingers worked the button and zip of my jeans and tugged me forward.
"There's something I need, something I want, for tonight". My words faded with her lips at my neck.
"Whatever you need from me Lauren, you can have it". I returned the smile she gave me and with a soft parting kiss, I took a step back, holding her eager eyes as I slowly stripped bare. I took that step back to her easily a second later, one of her hands instantly around my waist while the other snaked up my back and into my hair holding me close. "Put your fingers inside me Bo".
Without a word she obliged, sighing into my mouth just before she kissed me. She was pushing into me hard and deep but so damn leisurely as I just about sagged against her chest at the feel of it. I moved with her fingers, stretching up on my toes, our tongues finding a rhythm until I forced myself to break it. I rested my forehead against hers, my hand gripping at her wrist to stop the movement of her fingers inside me. She voiced a response to that action confidently, "tell me what you need".
I glanced over to the bed, to the right hand side drawer underneath it, Bo following my gaze eagerly and smiling in understanding. She kissed me lightly and moved quickly to retrieve our leather harness and the flesh coloured phallus I sporadically requested.
I emptied Bo's hands, my left holding the harness while I ran the phallus between her legs, lubricating its length for use. I knew once I'd secured it into place, I'd be dealing with a highly aroused and highly charged succubus and that was the point to taking my time. I'd give control back to Bo willingly because I wanted every part of her.
She held to my shoulders as I sunk back to my knees and she stepped into the black leather. I allowed her to get comfortable as I kissed up her stomach before paying loving attention to her breasts. I could feel her thrusting softly forward into me, hands pulling my mouth back to hers yet again. This time she was the one to break our kiss, silence falling between us for a drawn out moment before I made my request.
"I want you to take me from behind, to feel you deep inside me, hard and fast until you cum and have me cumming around you. Then I want the harness off and I want you on top of me, your pussy against mine while you feed and make love to me".
One other thing I wanted was to see the brilliant blue of her eyes but they stayed a dark, loving brown for now. We both moved as one to the bed, she held me in place at its centre and I was surprised by the tenderness of her mouth moving against mine. When we both pulled back a moment later, I moved first and got into position on all fours, hands on the headboard, looking back over my shoulder as her body covered mine as far as it she could in this position. I felt the phallus jutting between us and her mouth pressing down my spine until hands were parting my ass cheeks and her tongue was inside me just enough to tease but provide little relief.
Her aim wasn't to make me ask again for what I wanted, that was clear by how quickly she removed her mouth, gripped my hips and sunk into me just as I'd requested, deep and hard. I rose up as high as I could as we moved together perfectly for so long I lost track of time; Bo pushing forward as I thrust back, her hands alternating from squeezing at my breasts and hips to reaching around for my painfully sensitive clit.
My head had been down for so long it was difficult to lift it while feeling the intense pressure and pleasure of my impending organism. Bo's hips became erratic, our mingled moans slicing through the silence of our room like a sharp knife, prompting my hands from the headboard, one falling flat on the bed for support while the other gripped back for Bo, only managing to land on the leather of the harness and pulling in desperation, wanting her deeper still.
I felt like I was floating, out of my body almost when the wet, lewd sounds of sex and Bo cursing loudly exploded. My arms gave out and my face and chest pressed into soft pillows as I came hard, Bo continuing to thrust like crazy until she slumped down onto me a few seconds later. She stayed inside me, moving slowly as we caught our breath. It felt like her body was on fire where it touched mine and as much as I loved having her inside me like this, I wanted to see her eyes again, feel her heart beating wildly against my own chest.
With a final kiss to the base of my spine, Bo pulled out and slumped down onto the mattress with a contented sigh and a huge smile. With a smile of my own I unfastened the harness and threw it behind me, moving to sprawl half on top of Bo's body, nuzzling into her neck.
"You are incredible Lo". I let out a soft chuckle, fingers trailing down sweaty skin, skimming and teasing with slippery circles at her hip before reaching to feel just how wet she was. "We're not done yet succubus". Just like I'd done to her earlier, she gripped my wrist to halt my movements. Next thing I knew I was flat on my back, propped up on pillows, Bo's breasts pressing down into mine, her body cradled between my open thighs.
The kiss we shared was gentle and passionate, taking my breath while Bo slowly took my chi for just a couple of seconds before stopping and pulling away. Her blue eyes looked onto mine and I could see the love we shared shining in them, causing me to smile up at her. With a smile of her own, her eyes still electric she lifted my leg up, using it as leverage to position her scorching heat against my own and start to move.
One of her hands moved to my breast, squeezing lightly as we continued on together, eyes locked. Our embrace was maddeningly intimate, trumped only by Bo dropping my leg suddenly, angling her pelvis to the side a little so she could rest atop me fully again, our mouths coming together like magnets while she fed deeply, pulling back after only a few seconds again. Resting on her hands, bodies still tightly pressed together I felt an overwhelming sense of love, burning my throat with its intensity as Bo pushed energy back into me. It had become so common for us, the give and take of chi, a way of connecting in the most primal of ways possible but this time felt different, my head tipping back as Bo's body started to tense as she pushed harder against me, the heat of her body becoming alarmingly hot.
Everything felt fuzzy around the edges suddenly, Bo's eyes burning bluer than I'd ever seen then flashing to a deep and dazzling blood red. I'd seen those eyes before; Bo rippling with power as the Pyrippus surfaced within her, usually to protect, and always as a manifestation of some type of great emotion.
She looked magical; like being looked at the way she was looking at me shouldn't be real but her skin still pushing against mine so deliciously grounded my belief that this was all very much happening. Just as I came to that realisation, just as I felt myself wanting to cum and have her cum against me while she was burning me with those eyes she tipped her head up to the ceiling, body halting all movement as the moment we were sharing broke.
She looked in pain almost, trembling while trying to move away. My hands moved to soothe instantly, gripping her hips and keeping her in place, bringing her attention back to me. I needed her to understand that nothing was wrong, I wasn't afraid and she hadn't hurt me. "I love you, so much". They were only words, words I'd said to her thousands of times, but this time, I'd spoken them gazing into her eyes still blazing with fire for the first time.
She collapsed onto my chest, heavy and still hot to the touch. I tried to catch my breath, running my hands up and down her back, hoping to soothe her. It was long minutes later when I broke the silence, softly whispering her name and hoping for a response of some kind.
She lifted her head and rolled onto her side, familiar brown eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "I'm sorry; I don't know what that was".
"It's okay Bo". I went to continue, trying to keep my voice soft.
"It's not okay Lauren. I don't want to hurt you".
"You didn't. Granted, the red eyes are new for that particular, more intimate scenario but you've had control of your Pyrippus since unleashing it on Hades". She sighed deeply in response, causing me to move in closer against her, sweeping my hand across her skin from hip to shoulder and back again several times.
"I meant what I said Bo; I love you, all of you".
She looked so conflicted. My mind was trying to piece together what was happening and why.
"Sometimes understanding that is so hard Lauren. You've accepted everything that's happened, my darkest places. God Lo….when you tested the serum, I never accepted the abilities you had, what you'd done, not until the end and by then it was undone and you…"
"I broke us".
"No, you didn't, nothing will ever break us completely". She visibly relaxed, her body starting to cool a little to the touch.
"You need to talk to me Bo. Your sleep's been unsettled and as much as I loved dinner tonight, I can't help thinking part of that gesture was maybe you wanting to distract yourself and me. There's something going on, I know the signs, I know you".
She considered those words, looking deep in thought but still remained quiet. "Okay how about we start with your Pyrippus making its first appearance while we were ummm…."
I trailed off deliberately, smiling across at Bo and earning a hesitant one back. "Did anything feel different for you? Was there some kind of trigger?"
"Seriously, you want to tackle this scenario scientifically?"
"Give me the whole picture then, otherwise yes I'm planning on going with science".
That seemed the stun Bo a little and I deliberately kept on touching her, trying to be patient.
"I've been dreaming about you". I wanted to laugh a little bit; I really did because her words felt like such a random jump and nothing I'd be unhappy about. "What was the tone of the dreams?"
"Even before the dreams though, things have felt, I don't know, more settled and more intense between us and it's made me think about things, about us".
It was one of the things I loved about her, how she could command such confidence and power but still lose track of her thoughts when she was nervous. "Bo, what have you been dreaming?"
Her lip was caught between her teeth, her hand stealing mine from her hip and linking our fingers.
"You're pregnant".
"I'm pregnant?"
"Not just that, the baby's ours, in every sense. I don't know how I know that it is I can just feel it. It's scary and amazing".
I was rendered speechless, this conversation not what I'd been expecting at all. It brought about so many memories; Bo and I talking baby names at Hecuba, then heartbreak, longing and so many pushed down thoughts and reality checks I'd kept to myself. She was looking at me expectantly so I took a deep breath and started to give a response even as I was still in turmoil.
"I don't know what to say, what to think. I mean…you've never indicated that's what you wanted, we've never really talked about it".
"I know and that's why it's been so hard to. Me and dreams never have a good relationship and what the Leviathan said about Hades and Dagny, her dreams…I don't know what to think or feel either".
"I know you'll make an amazing mother one day Bo, if that's something you want".
That thought had been the only clear statement in my head but the resulting hurt on her face had me wishing I could backtrack.
"I'll make an amazing mother, partnered with someone else right? But not with you?"
"Bo I….."
"No it's okay, really". She went to move away from me and I urgently pressed myself against the full length of her.
"I've thought about us having a family Bo, more times than I can count, all the way through our relationship".
"But?"
The hurt on her face was gone, replaced by something I couldn't decipher. "On the hood of your Camaro, just after Kenzi left with Dagny, I told you I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you, knowing we're messy and complicated and knowing that would never change. I'm human Bo and you're fae and as much as we both accept those facts….." I took a few seconds to think and breath, needing to take my time with this.
"We've built at incredible life together, in dangerous and unsettled times for the Fae and my work is important to me and to that…..you're the most important thing in my world though. Even if we could have a child together Bo, biologically ours, even if I could make that happen somehow, Fae and human procreation will result in production of a human offspring.
I can only give you a forever in human terms of years Bo and I hate that. You wouldn't just have to watch me die; you'd most likely have to watch our child die as well". The realisation of those words had me floored and crying, my head dropping to Bo's chest.
Bo pulled my face back up to hers, kissing my lips and holding me tightly while she cried as well. We stayed that way for long minutes while I tried to figure out a way to recover. To my surprise, Bo took the lead, pulling my face back up to hers.
"I wish I could make you believe that there's no one else but you Lauren, even after…when you're gone, there'll be no one else. You're all I want. Why not get even more messy and complicated? I love the life we've built together too but after Hades is gone, when it's done, I want more. I want to give you everything and I want everything with you. In my dreams, I'm holding you in our bed, your belly swollen with our child and it's beyond incredible, how that feels is indescribable. I know the risks and I want it anyway. I'll deal with the pain of losing you only because I'll have the memories of our life together and that we lived the hell out of it".
I wanted to give in completely to that notion, but ultimately I knew Bo was lost to the romance of the idea and her dreams, I needed to be the practical one here, or at least try to be. There was something else holding me back, something I didn't want to voice but knew I had to now or I wouldn't at all. "Not everyone would welcome us having a child together Bo". I closed my eyes then, resisting the urge I felt to reach up and touch the fading scar on my chest, the arrows target that day only just missing its mark.
Bo knew exactly where my thoughts were and she gripped me tighter. She didn't have to say the words; I knew she'd remove any threat to any child we might have as well as any threat to me or any other member of our family. "How about we both agree to take some time to think seriously about the idea and when we get through our latest challenges, we'll talk some more about it and make a decision, a plan". Bo nodded at me, both of us settling in and getting comfortable, but honestly I didn't think I'd be able to sleep anytime soon.
"Lauren?" My eyes had drifted closed but opened again on hearing my name. I mumbled out in response, feeling exhausted.
"When we were making love, I felt connected to you in a way I've never felt before, not just me as a succubus but the Pyrippus as well, I could feel how much you love me and I wanted to give that back to you".
"And I wanted everything you had to give me".
"I don't like feeling blind though, not to something so intense, not knowing what it could mean for me or for you if my instinct rules over my control".
"We'll figure it out". I didn't have anything else I could say because I knew I'd exhausted every research source possible regarding the Pyrippus just after Bo's battle with Hades.
I kissed her softly and closed my eyes. I knew it would be a restless night's sleep for both of us.
XXX
"Are you sure this will work Bo?" Kenzi had been tense all day, all of us had. Dagny had said goodbye to her girlfriend, explaining she'd be out of town with Bo visiting relatives but she'd call when she got back. It was so far from the truth but at the same time absolutely correct.
"Like I said Kenz, I don't know how I know, I just do". Bo and Dagny exchanged a meaningful look while Dyson, Kenzi and I stood back.
"I trust you, don't know why or if I should, but I do". Dagny then moved to wrap Kenzi in a tight hug. "I need to do this".
"I know you do but I don't have to like it". With a smile, Kenzi shoved Dagny away and latched onto Dyson in comfort.
"I swear Bo, if the three of us have to come up with some kooky way to knock down Valhalla's gates just to get your asses out, I'm gonna be pissed".
Bo smiled indulgently then nodded at Dyson, moving to hug him and then Kenzi. Dagny moved further into the lab space, giving Bo and I as much space and privacy as possible. I accepted the kiss she gave me, kissing her back for all I was worth.
We broke apart but she hadn't let me too far out of her reach. "I'll be back as soon as I can. Be safe okay? I love you". With a final look at all of us, Bo stepped back next to Dagny, her eyes closing as she took her hand and breathed deeply for a long while.
When Bo's eyes opened again, they were a stark blue, a heavy luminous film forming around her and spreading along Dagny's arm to cover her entire body. Just like the last time I'd seen her use the hell shoes; Bo disappeared in a dramatic flash of heat and dazzling light, forcing my eyes away.
"We really just let them go didn't we?"
I glanced over to the photo of Bo and I on my lab desk as Dyson pulled Kenzi in tighter against his body, his voice clear. "We did".
END CHAPTER 2
Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed.
Bo and Dagny take on Valhalla next up as well as some Lauren/Evony and Lauren/Kenzi (the two sets of characters I wished had interacted more on the show).